CSCOPE Vote Expected Monday

CSCOPE could be sticking around for at least one more year in the Wichita Falls Independent School District.

At a School Board meeting Tuesday, Superintendent Dr. John Frossard recommended that it is in the WFISD's best interest to keep the program. "In terms of what I am recommending, I believe we are in no position to replace CSCOPE at this time," said Dr. Frossard.

Part of his recommendation is due to the fact that the district has made extensive financial and time commitments into CSCOPE over the past few years.

"The thought of abandoning CSCOPE overnight is not only premature, but it's really just impractical," said Dr. Frossard. "[It] would leave us with lots of gaps in our curriculum, and that would be a significant problem for us."

The district is taking steps to evaluate CSCOPE even further. "We're going to establish a district committee that will take any potentially objectionable lessons pointed out to us by parents or community members, and we'll do an independent review."

The review will determine if the lessons are appropriate for the district. The board has also decided to delay full implementation of the social studies curriculum until the state ad hoc committee gives their stamp of approval.

"CSCOPE isn't perfect, but I will remind everyone that nothing we use is perfect," said Board Member Rev. Reginald Blow during the meeting.

Fellow Board member Trey Sralla said, "There's no consistency. It's all over the board. There's some that really, really like it, there's some that don't like it. Nobody loves it all or hates it all."

A major complaint about CSCOPE by parents has been about transparency. The WFISD said parents can now find a link to the CSCOPE parent portal on its homepage to view their child's curriculum.

Ultimately, Dr. Frossard would like to see a locally developed and controlled curriculum. But he indicated the WFISD has a long way to go before that can happen.

WFISD Public Information Officer Renae Murphy told Newschannel 6 the School Board will make a final decision about the CSCOPE program Monday.

President Donald Trump visited a Florida community reeling from a deadly school shooting, meeting privately with victims and cheering the heroics of first responders, but extending few public words of consolation...

President Donald Trump visited a Florida community reeling from a deadly school shooting, meeting privately with victims and cheering the heroics of first responders, but extending few public words of consolation to those in deep mourning.